Duke throttles Michigan State, punches ticket to title game
This was all too easy for Duke.
The hype around Michigan State, Tom Izzo and the possibility of a Final Four upset quickly wilted away as Duke cruised to victory Saturday.
The Blue Devils were too much, earning a berth in the national championship game with an 81-61 win. The 20-point loss was the largest ever for the Spartans program in the NCAA tournament.
Justise Winslow led the way for Duke, tallying 19 points and nine rebounds on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. He also went 9-for-11 from the stripe.
Duke throttled a much weaker Michigan State team by converting uncontested shots, easy dunks and shooting 73 percent from the free-throw line.
Jahlil Okafor also came up huge when it mattered, recording 18 points and six boards.
Held without a field goal for the final six minutes of the first half, the Spartans had the upper hand early, but were forced to change their tune when Duke's defense finally showed up.
The Spartans went up 14-6 to start the game, thanks in large part to the shooting prowess of Denzel Valentine, who finished with a double-double, scoring a game-high 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Travis Trice also did his part, putting up 16 points and five assists in the loss.
But, in typical Duke fashion, the Blue Devils took the lead on a 22-6 run and never relinquished it.
Simply put, there was nothing Michigan State could have done differently. The Blue Devils were handed the task of overcoming their biggest deficit of the tournament, and they did just that.
Realistically, Michigan State was the only seed in the Final Four that wasn't pegged as a No. 1, and it showed.
Mike Krzyzewski continued his domination of the Final Four, improving to 9-3 all-time in the national semifinal. He's also got the number of Spartans coach Tom Izzo, with Coach K emerging victorious in nine of their 10 career meetings.
Duke will have a rematch with the Badgers in a national championship game that will feature two No. 1 seeds for the first time since 2008.